Those that know me are probably sick of hearing about this but until the over analysis ends, I will preach from my soap box or pull all of my hair out.
Why do we spend so much time over analyzing and over complicating EVERYTHING? Notice the wording I’ve chosen, I did not say why do we analyze or complicate, I said why do we OVER analyze and OVER complicate? There is a time where the chatter needs to end and the doing needs to begin. We can spend minutes, hours, days, and weeks OVER doing everything or we can get to work and adapt along the way.
Look how many hours (and often days) we over analyze the Superbowl game before and after? What’s the point? My suspicion is to build hype and for television ratings. From something as simple as the Superbowl to something with more importance like over analyzing what makes a good leader…there is no definitive answer. So, all the chatter, for so many people, is simply a barrier from taking action. They say to themselves, “I really need to analyze and research this before I can implement” which is fine to some degree…but I refuse to believe that analyzing takes as much time as so many think.
Look at all the businesses that have adapted along the way, changing and evolving as need has changed and evolved. Look at all the individuals simply living their lives that have changed and evolved as their life circumstance has changed and evolved. Analyzing or over analyzing what color shirt to buy or whether to take a jacket with me is unnecessary, so the point is that analyzing and over analyzing whether to open a business or add a service to your current business is unnecessary. Do it, fix it along the way.
Again, for liabilities sake, I am not saying don’t analyze, but know when to turn that switch off and take action. Knowledge and research are vital…but mean absolutely squat without implementation. Over analysis of anything, simply adds more complication to most people…it often time gives us too much to think about and too much extra time to think so we avoid pulling the trigger. Over analyzing something can, and often is from my experience, an excuse to not move forward. Over analysis can, and often does, come from too much doubt or fear.
Learning the difference, that fine line between analyzing and over analyzing, is huge! In fact, (and stealing Seth Godin’s term) it can be the difference between “shipping” something versus “shipping” nothing…and in my book, something is almost always better than nothing!
We analyze because human beings like to analyze. Think about it, almost from the time doctors tell your parents that you weigh 8lbs 5oz and are 22″ long at birth, every step in your life is full of measures and analyzing. Too thin, too fat, too short, too tall, not speaking soon enough, not walking fast enough etc. And that’s just when you actually ARE helpless! Go off to school and we assess you and give you grades and titles and awards. Grow up and we give you job titles and real estate and whatevah! We even analyze about overanalyzing. What’s too much, what’s not enough. So we read and research and ponder who’s coattails to grab just to get to the next plateau. We even analyze wines. Face it my friend, you will be under our microscope for the rest of your existence. Hopefully we’ll see that you’re helping someone along the way. 😉
I hear you Cheri, and completely agree…I guess that’s why I don’t analyze wines either…lol. As I stated, I think there is a safe amount of analysis that happens, but over analysis leads to complications for so many people and they don’t realize it. An example could be that person that over analyzes wine to the point he can’t actually just sit around with friends and enjoy that wine…the same would apply in any other example.
That fine line, albeit elusive, would be good to find so we can also balance out with “trigger pulling”. Cheers to you Cheri!! Many thanks!!